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Municipal Lighting Plant Communities

While a majority of Massachusetts residents live in communities served by investor-owned utilities (like Western Massachusetts Electric Company or Northeast Utilities), many live in areas served by municipal lighting plants, which have not historically contributed to the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust. The trust funds MassCEC grant programs, rebates and other incentives, which have been available historically to only those communities that contribute to the trust. The Green Communities Act of 2008 established a mechanism for municipal lighting plant communities to participate in the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust Fund. It also clarifies eligibility requirements for funding projects in municipal lighting plant communities that choose not to pay into the Trust Fund.

To find out if your community is served by a municipal light plant or investor-owned utility, view this map.

Renewable Energy Trust Fund Membership Agreement

The document below formalizes the terms for municipal lighting plant (MLP) participation in the Renewable Energy Trust. There are two versions of the agreement. The “MLP Authority” version is for MLPs, which have full authority to enter into the agreement without the need for further specific authorization by the host municipality. The “Municipal Authority” version is for situations in which only the executive arm of the municipality has specific authority to authorize the MLP to enter into the agreement. In either case, the MLP and/or municipality must submit Authority Documentation as described in Section 1 of the agreement.

The table below lists those MLPs that have submitted signed RET Membership Agreements. The start date for eligibility for Trust programs depends upon the date the MLP begins to collect and remit the Trust charge. All MLP customers are strongly encouraged to consult with their MLP and obtain written confirmation that the MLP is collecting and remitting the Trust charge before entering into any agreement for installation of a renewable energy system for which they expect to receive a rebate from the Trust.